I would like to bring a message
to you this morning from Hebrews chapter 11. If you would like
to turn with me in your Bible, Hebrews chapter 11, and I want
to open this message by being as honest and as clear and as
straightforward as I can possibly be. The time is short and there's
no time to sugarcoat the honest truth. And I want to bring that
to you this morning. I want to bring it with sincerity.
I want to bring it with compassion, but I want to be as truthful
as I can honestly be. I want to tell you a few absolute
truths here, and then I'm going to prove them to you by the word.
I'm going to tell you some things that might be a little. Shocking. But this is the truth. You do
not have to make a decision in order to be saved. In spite of what many people
are told, in spite of what many people believe, and I do mean
many people, the truth of the matter is you do not have to
make a decision in order to be saved. You do not have to come
down to the front of a church and shake a preacher's hand in
order to be saved. You do not have to do that. You
do not have to change or clean up your life in order to be saved. Now, I believe it would be a
good idea for most people to change. We're not what we think
we are. We're not as kind and we're not
as loving. I also believe it would be a good thing for people
to clean up their life. But those things will have no
bearing on a soul's salvation. You do not have to clean up your
life in order to be saved. You do not have to give up anything
in order to be saved. Nothing. And I especially want
to make this one clear. This is so important. You do
not have to stop sinning in order to be saved. You do not have
to stop sinning in order to be saved. If our salvation was dependent
on whether or not we sin Then none of us will be saved. None
of us. And the reason is because we're
all centers. We are all centers right now. We are centers. Not used to be
are starting with me. If my salvation, my own salvation,
if that is dependent on me, not sinning, then I have no hope. I have no hope. Thank God, though,
it's not dependent on that. It's not dependent on that at
all. There is nothing that we can do or not do to be saved. Salvation is of the Lord. It's not in what we do. It's
in what he does and what he has done. Salvation is of the Lord. It's of the Lord. Now, there
are four words in our text this morning that I want to focus
on. It's Hebrews 11 verse 8, and it says, by faith, Abraham,
and here are the four words, when he was called. When he was
called. Sinners are called to salvation. God is the one who does the calling. He calls sinners to salvation. Now many people believe that
God spoke this world into existence. People believe that. He spoke
it into existence from nothing to everything we see. They believe
he spoke the heavens into existence and he spoke everything on this
earth into existence. People believe that God formed
man from the dust of the ground. People believe God made us. They believe that he was able
to do every bit of that. But for some reason, they don't
believe he's able to save. They believe he's able to create
everything out of nothing. But for some reason, they do
not believe he's able to save people naturally. Do not believe
that he's able to lay hold of their soul and redeem it back
to himself all by himself. They believe they have to help
him. They believe they have to let him before he can do it. You have to let him. That's what
they say. And that's what people believe.
They believe they have to set everything up just right. They
have to make all the conditions just right and tip everything
in his favor before he will be able to save them. And here's
what it all boils down to. They do not believe that he is
God. People do not naturally believe
that he is God, but he is God. He is God, and we're either gonna
find that out right now, that's grace, that's mercy, finding
it out right now, because we're either gonna find it out right
now, or we're gonna find that out when we go stand before Him.
And when we go stand before Him, if we are notified of the fact
that He did not call us to eternal life, then we're gonna spend
an eternity of damnation and torment in God's hell. God's hell. And that's no matter
what decision we made. People make decisions all the
time, but they're irrelevant. No matter what decision we made,
no matter how much we cleaned up our life, no matter how much,
no matter how much we thought we weren't sinning, It amazes
me how many people believe they don't sin. Our only hope. The only hope
that we have is to be called of God. We must be called of
God. Now the title of this message
is has God called me? That's what I want to know. That's
what we need to know. Has God called me? God calls
sinners. Well, has God called me? Has
he called me? I want to show you four things
about God's call, and then we'll answer that question. We'll try
to answer that question for each one of us. Has God called me?
All right, let's start by seeing these four things about his call.
Number one, His call is a particular call. Now, if you have a Bible
there, turn with me, if you would, to Romans 1. We're going to turn
to a few places, and I believe you'll enjoy seeing this for
yourself. In Romans 1, verse 1 says, Paul, a servant of Jesus
Christ, called to be an apostle. separated unto the gospel of
God. He said, I was called to it. That's how I became an apostle. I was called to it. Verse six,
he said, among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ? He said, if God saved you, he
called you to it. You were called to it. Verse
seven, to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be
saints. Every loved, chosen saint of
God is called to be a saint. Every one of them. Look with
me, if you would, at 1 Corinthians 1. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 9, it
says, God is faithful by whom you were called unto
the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Salvation is
union with Christ. That's what it is, union with
Christ, being quickened together with Christ. And if we're gonna
be a part of that union, we have to be called to it, must be called
to it. Look right here in 1 Corinthians
1 at verse 26. For you see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble are called." What does he mean by that? What does
he mean, not many wise men, not many mighty, not many noble are
called? Here's what he means. Not many wise men, not many mighty,
Not many noble are called. It's a particular call. That
brings us to the next thing about God's call. It's a sovereign
call. This is glorious. God's sovereignty
is glorious. God's sovereignty is the good
news. Verse 26 says, for you see your
calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen. God's the one who did the choosing,
the foolish things. That's who he chose. People like you and me, the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things that are
mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised
hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not to bring to naught
things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. That's why he did that, that
no flesh should glory in his presence. Now, what does that
mean? That means God calls who He wants to call. He does what
He wants to do. He saves who He wants to save. And here's the good news, in
spite of them, in spite of the fact that they rebel against
Him, want nothing to do with Him, He came to His own, His
own received Him not, but His call is sovereign. And whether
they want to be called or not, they're called. It's a sovereign
call. In Galatians 1, if you want to
look there, the Apostle Paul right here is telling about all
of his ignorance and his arrogance in false religion against God,
against the truth. He's talking about his self-righteousness. He's talking about his sin. He
said in verse 15, but when it pleased God in spite of me, But
when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and
called me by his grace to reveal his son in me, he said, that's
the moment my eyes were opened. That's the moment my ears were
opened. That's the moment I heard the
voice of God almighty. I thought I was my own little
God in my own self-righteous religion, going around living
like I wanted to and doing what I thought was right. But all
of a sudden, God opened my eyes, opened my ears, knocked me off
of my high horse. And he said, I heard the voice
of God. And that happened when he called me. by his grace. God calls who he wants to call,
when he wants to call. God's call is a particular call. It's a sovereign call. And the
third thing is it's an effectual call. It's a very effectual call. Turn with me over to John chapter
11 in John chapter 11. There are many examples in the
scripture of God's effectual call. All of them have the same
outcome as this one here in John 11 verse one. It says, now a
certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary
and her sister, Martha. Certain man was sick. Verse three
says, therefore, his sisters sent unto him saying, Lord, behold,
he whom thou lovest is sick. They sent word to the Lord. Verse
six says, when he had heard therefore that he was sick, our Lord abode
two days still in the same place where he was. He did not run
right to Lazarus. Verse 17 says, then when Jesus
came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. He died. And they'd already put
him in the grave and he'd been in the grave already for four
days. Verse 38 says, Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh
to the grave. It was a cave and a stone lay
upon it. Verse 41 says, then they took
away the stone from the place where the dead was laid and Jesus
lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank thee that thou
hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest
me always, but because of the people which stand by, I said
it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he
thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth,
bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was bound
about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose
him, and let him go. God's call is an all-powerful
command. It is not an invitation. Men
stand up behind a pulpit and at the end of their sermon, they
want to give an invitation. God's call is not an invitation. It's a command. It's a command. He did not say now, Lazarus,
if you will accept me as your personal savior, I would like
to offer to raise you from the dead. If that'd be okay with
you. He didn't say that at all. He said, Lazarus come forth. And he that was dead came forth. That's how it happens every single
time. God's call is in all mighty,
all powerful command. And when he calls, sinners come. That's what happens. God is not
trying to save anybody. God is not trying. God has never
tried to save one person. God saves who he purposes to
save. When he shows his affection and
shows his love, he sends his alarming awakening call to the
soul of the one he said his affection on. And that center has no choice
but to respond to the call. That's good news. We're sinners. If we had a choice, you know
what we would choose? No thanks. That's what we would
choose. But it's not up to us. No choice
but to respond. David said in Psalm 27, I love
this. He said, when you said, seek
ye my face, my heart cried, thy face, Lord, will I seek. As soon
as you said that to me, I responded. If God ever calls us, we're coming. We're coming. No option, no choice. We're coming. That's the fourth
thing about this call. God's call is a saving call. It's a call unto salvation. Look with me, if you would, at
Romans chapter eight. Romans 8 verse 28 says, and we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called. And whom he called, them he also
justified. He justified. How can a sinner
be justified before God? When a sinner stands before God,
what will it take for God to look at that sinner and say,
well done? I'm well pleased. What will it take? The only way
a sinner can be justified before God is in Christ. That sinner must be covered in
the blood and robed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
it. That's the only hope a sinner
has. God's call is a call into Christ. into the blood and the
righteousness of Christ. Verse 30 says, moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called,
them he also justified in the blood and the righteousness of
Christ, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. glorified. Every soul called into Christ
will be glorified with Christ. Every soul. Now here's what I
want to know. Here's what I want to know. I
would imagine this is what you want to know too. Have I been
called? Have you been called? Has God called me? Has God called
us? If this is my only hope of salvation,
if it is all in His hands, totally in His hands, have I been particularly,
sovereignly, effectually, savingly called? We can find out the answer
to that question by seeing how he called Abraham. All right,
go back where we started. Our text is in Hebrews 11. It
says in Hebrews 11 verse 8, by faith, Abraham, when he was called
to go out into a place which he should after receive for an
inheritance, obeyed. And he went out, not knowing
whither He went. You know what that means? It
means he believed God. He believed God. Romans 4, Galatians
3, James 2, they all say Abraham believed God. He believed what
God said. what God said, not what he imagined
God said, what God said. Only the called believe God. As he has. Declared in his word,
only the called believe the God as he has revealed himself to
be. People believe they love God
until they find out who God really is. Then they start to understand. Maybe I don't love him. Like
I thought I did. The called believe God. Most people believe. This
won't be a shock at all to you. Most people believe that you
have to make a decision in order to be saved, but that's the wrong
thing to believe because that's not what God said. That's not
what God said. People believe that somehow man's
will plays a role in salvation, but that's the wrong thing to
believe. That's not what God said. Look with me, if you would,
at Romans nine. In Romans chapter nine, verse
15, it says, he sayeth to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then it is not of him that willeth. It's not of him that
willeth. God says it's not up to our decision. Man's will plays no role. That's what God says. Have we
been called of God? Have we been called of God? Well,
this is what man says. It's of my will. It's of your
will. Now there's things of your will now. That's what man says. God says it's of his will. Who
do we believe? Who do we believe? Abraham, when
he was called, he believed God. He believed God. People everywhere
believe that the things we do play a role in our salvation.
Have you lived? Have you lived right? They believe
that in order to be saved, you have to do this. You have to
do that. You have to run here, you have to run there, you have
to work, work, work. That's the wrong thing to believe
because that's not what God said. Let me show you what he said right
here in Romans 9, verse 16. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Second Timothy 1-9 says, He hath
saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Has God
called us? Has God called you and me? Man
says, do. You have to do. That's what man
says. You have to do now. God says, it's done. Salvation's of the Lord. Salvation
is totally finished in my son. It has no bearing. All you did
was wrong. You thinking that you are earning
your own righteousness, that's filthy rags in my eyes. The only
one I'm truly well pleased with is my own son. Therefore, you need to stop looking
at your own works. That's what God says. Man says
do, God says done. Who do we believe? Who do we believe? Abraham, when
he was called. He believed God. He believed
God. The lie of religion tells people
you have to stop sinning. You have to stop sinning. Before
you can be saved, you have to stop sinning. Let me show you
what God says. Turn over to Romans 5. This is
Romans 5, verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. That's who he died for, the ungodly,
you and me. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward
us, In that while we were yet sinners, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Christ died for us. Have we received
God's true saving call? Well, the lie of false religion
says Christ came to call the righteous This is important. The lie of false religion says
Christ came to call the righteous. You better stop sinning. Christ
came to call the righteous. Christ himself said he came to
call sinners. Who do we believe? Who do we
believe? As the truth of this word comes
to us, has God given us a heart to bow to it? Has God given us a heart to believe
it? Has God given us a heart to come to him? If he has, then
he's called us. And if he has called us, we give
him all the glory for it. Till next week, may the Lord
bless his word to our hearts. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker. Please tune in next week for
another message of God's free and sovereign grace.